


A Misfit Amongst Heroes

by Tyloric



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Tree, Clint Feels, Family, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Phil totally gets Clint, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-21 23:50:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/603421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyloric/pseuds/Tyloric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint has never had a family and never had any friends beyond Natasha. As such, he has never celebrated Christmas. This year, though, he has family. This year he has Phil. <i>This year</i> he has something to be grateful for.</p><p>And that absolutely terrifies him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Misfit Amongst Heroes

**Author's Note:**

> Because all the cool kids are writing holiday fics, so I decided to pretend to be one of them. This is sickeningly sweet... more so than what I usually do (which is saying something), but I think it turned out okay.
> 
> I actually almost threw this in with my [Caretaker](http://archiveofourown.org/series/30407) series but it was a bit too disconnected. I think it reads better as a stand alone.

At first, Phil hadn’t been entirely certain what had woken him. The room had still been dark, not even the grey light of early morning peaking through the curtains, so it was still late. He blinked his eyes wearily, trying to push himself to full consciousness. Phil tried to be careful with his movements as he sat up, not wanting to wake Clint, but when he looked over to make sure he wasn’t disturbing the other man he discovered that Clint was not even in bed.  
  
Ah, so that’s why he’d woken up.  
  
Phil rubbed the heel of his palms against his eyes. “JARVIS?”  
  
“Yes, Agent Coulson?” came JARVIS’ quiet reply.  
  
“Can you tell me where Clint is, please?” Phil asked, his voice still a bit hoarse.  
  
“Agent Barton is down in the lobby of the tower,” the AI replied. “In the air vents,” he added after a beat.  
  
Phil lightly shook his head and sighed. “Would you please tell him that I am coming down and to not be in the vents by the time I get there?”  
  
“Of course, sir.”  
  
“Thank you, JARVIS.”  
  
One of the joints in Phil’s back popped as he stood up, one of the many reminders that he was getting older. Stretching his arms over his head, Phil walked over to the dresser and threw on sweatpants and a tee (Phil slept in only his boxers) and slipped into his house shoes.   
  
“Sir, Agent Barton had asked me to inform you that he is fine and for you to return to bed.”  
  
Phil rolled his eyes. “Tell him I’ll see him soon,” he replied as he stepped out into the hall. “And I’m sorry to make you play messenger.”  
  
“No apologies are necessary, Agent Coulson. Compared to Master Stark and Miss Potts, your conversations are quite tame.”  
  
Phil was chuckling as he stepped into the elevator.  
  
-  
  
As predicted, Phil found Clint in the lobby.  
  
The lobby of StarkTower was a huge open space. The walls of the front of the build were simply giant glass windows with an oversized gold revolving door sitting neatly in the center of things with the reception desk being situated directly opposite the doors. There was never any night security; JARVIS was more than capable of watching the tower on his own. The entire area screamed “Tony Stark”.  
  
But the overcompensation didn’t end there, oh no. For the holiday season Tony had saw it fit to erect a massive, over elaborate Christmas tree off to the right of the lobby, opposite of the hallway that lead to the public and private elevators. The tree stretched from the floor all the way to the ceiling (a good forty feet). White lights, massive ornaments, a giant gold star; the thing had all the clichés.  
  
Clint had chosen to sit at- or rather on the reception desk. He sat cross legged with his back to Phil, staring at the tree, wearing the same sweatpants as Phil and a dark purple hoodie. Clint’s eyes flicked over to Phil when the other man approached before settling back on the tree.  
  
“I admit that I’m curious as to where you came from,” Phil started. “JARVIS said you were in the vents.”  
  
Clint shrugged. “Climbed down the tree.”  
  
Phil raised an eyebrow but otherwise didn’t comment. He leaned against the desk next to Clint, propping himself on his elbow. A strange silence settled between them; not necessarily uncomfortable, but definitely tense.  
  
“You want to talk about it?” Phil asked a minute later.  
  
Clint didn’t immediately say anything, but his eyebrows did scrunch together as if he was thinking carefully about how he wanted to reply.  
  
“It’s... stupid,” he said eventually.  
  
“Maybe,” Phil replied with a small undertone of amusement. “But I’d like to hear it anyway.”  
  
After another stretch of silence, Clint hopped off the desk so that he was behind Phil, resting his hands on Phil’s hips and his chin on Phil’s shoulder.  
  
Phil unashamedly leaned back into the embrace. Clint had never been someone who enjoyed being too close. The only person he ever really let into his personal space was Phil and Natasha, and even then they both knew not to do so without Clint’s permission. Phil suspected it had to do with Clint’s abusive childhood but had never felt the topic needed to be addressed. He accepted Clint fully, quirks and all.  
  
Several more seconds ticked by before Clint sighs. “I’ve never had a proper Christmas.”  
  
“I know,” Phil said gently.  
  
“This is the first year that... I’ve had Natasha for a while, but she’s never been big on the holidays either, ya know? She and I, we don’t know what it really means to have family.” Clint moved so that his arms fully encompassed Phil’s mid section.  
  
“But now?”  
  
Even though he couldn’t see it, Phil knew Clint had a small smile on his face when he spoke next. “And now I’ve got you. Years of pining and I can finally do things like this.” Clint raked his teeth across Phil’s neck, not so hard that it hurt, but enough that it left light red streaks on Phil’s skin.  
  
Phil tilted his head as to give Clint better access. “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.  
  
“Not bad,” Clint mumbled. “Scary.”  
  
At that, Phil turned around in Clint’s arms. After so many years of working with Clint, Phil had become very skilled at reading between the lines.  
  
Clint noticed his expression and instinctually backpedaled. “I’m not scared of you, no, I mean. Shit. It’s just that-”  
  
Phil wrapped a hand around the back of Clint’s neck and pressed his lips against Clint’s firmly. The kiss was slow and deep. Phil licked the along Clint’s bottom lip causing the other man to moan. When they pulled apart Clint was flushed, but the corners of his mouth were curled up until a weak smile.  
  
“Try again,” Phil said, their foreheads pressed together.  
  
Clint took several deep breaths. “I have you now,” he started. “I have you, and I have... friends. More than just Nat. I...” Clint swallowed, the words seeming to catch in his throat. “I don’t know how to be apart of a family.”  
  
“It’s not that complicated,” Phil said, rubbing his thumb along the side of Clint’s jaw. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. No one expects you to be anything other than who you are right now.” He brushed his lips against Clint’s. “Just be the man I fell in love with.”  
  
Clint smiled, but his eyes remained uncertain. “I distanced myself from people for a reason. That way, when they eventually left, it wouldn’t hurt as much.” His face fell. “I already almost lost you.”  
  
“No one can know the future, Clint, and yes, we will both make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and I can’t guarantee that one of us won’t get hurt.” Phil offered Clint a gentle smile. “But just because you can’t control life doesn’t mean you should run from it, because the good moments make the bad ones worth it.”  
  
And then Clint was smiling fully, his expression fond and loving. He tugged their hips together and caught Phil in another kiss.  
  
“Merry Christmas, Phil,” Clint whispered against the man’s lips.  
  
“Merry Christmas, Clint.” Phil pulled away and looked Clint square in the eye. “Now how about we go back to our room and I let you have your way with me?”  
  
Clint smirked. “Sir, yes sir.”


End file.
